List of governors of Tamil Nadu
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The governor of Tamil Nadu is the head of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Governors in India have similar powers and functions at the state level as those of the president of India at the central level. They exist in the state appointed by the president of India and they are not local to the state that they are appointed to govern. The factors based on which the president evaluates the candidates is not mentioned in the constitution. The governor acts as the nominal head whereas the real power lies with the chief minister of the state and their council of ministers.
The current incumbent is R. N. Ravi, who has served since 18 September 2021.(20th if governors with additional charge also counted)
Powers and functions
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- Executive powers related to administration, appointments and removals,
- Legislative powers related to lawmaking and the state legislature, that is Vidhan Sabha or Vidhan Parishad, and
- Discretionary powers to be carried out according to the discretion of the Governor.
Governors before independence
This is a list of the governors, agents, and presidents of colonial Madras, initially of the English East India Company, up to the end of British colonial rule in 1947.
English Agents
In 1639, the grant of Madras to the English was finalized between the factors of the Masulipatnam (now Machilipatnam) factory (trading post), represented by Francis Day, and the Raja of Chandragiri. In 1640, Andrew Cogan, the chief of the Masulipatnam factory, made his way to Madras in the company of Francis Day and the English and Indian employees of the Masulipatnam factory. The Agency of Madras was established on 1 March 1640 and Cogan was made the first Agent. The official title was 'Governor of Fort St George' and the Governor was usually referred to as Agent. Cogan served in the post for three years and was succeeded by Francis Day. After four agents had served their terms, Madras was upgraded to a Presidency during the time of Aaron Baker. However financial considerations forced the company to revert to an agency soon after Aaron Baker had served his term. The Agency survived until 1684 when Madras was made a Presidency once and for all. Streynsham Master is the best remembered and most renowned of the Agents of Madras.
| # | Name (birth–death) |
Took office | Left office | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Agents | ||||||
| 1 | Andrew Cogan | 1 March 1640 | 1643 |
| ||
| 2 | Francis Day (1605–1673) |
1643 | 1644 | |||
| 3 | Thomas Ivie (1605–1673) |
1644 | 1648 |
| ||
| 4 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) |
1648 | 1652 | |||
| 5 | Aaron Baker (1610–1683) |
1652 | 1655 | |||
| 6 | Thomas Greenhill (1611–1658) |
1655 | 1658 | |||
| 7 | Sir Thomas Chambers (d. 1692) |
1658 | 1661 | |||
| 8 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) |
1661 | Aug 1665 | |||
| 9 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) |
Aug 1665 | 16 Sep 1665 | |||
| 10 | Sir Edward Winter (1622–1686) |
16 Sep 1665 | 22 Aug 1668 | |||
| 11 | George Foxcroft (1634–1715) |
22 Aug 1668 | Jan 1670 |
| ||
| 12 | Sir William Langhorne, 1st Baronet (1631–1715) |
Jan 1670 | 27 Jan 1678 | |||
| 13 | Streynsham Master (1640–1724) |
27 Jan 1678 | 3 Jul 1681 |
| ||
| 14 | William Gyfford | 3 Jul 1681 | 8 Aug 1684 | |||
Presidents
Madras was elevated to a presidency in 1684 and remained so until 12 February 1785 when new rules and regulations brought by the Pitt's India Act reformed the administration of the East India Company with the exception of a three-year period of French rule from 1746 to 1749 when Madras was a governorship.
Subsequently, Elihu Yale who took charge on 8 August 1684 was the First President of Madras. Elihu Yale, Thomas Pitt and George Macartney are some of the well-known Presidents of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| Elihu Yale (First term) (acting) | 8 August 1684 | 26 January 1685 |
| William Gyfford | 26 January 1685 | 25 July 1687 |
| Elihu Yale (Second term) | 25 July 1687 | 3 October 1692 |
| Nathaniel Higginson | 3 October 1692 | 7 July 1698 |
| Thomas Pitt | 7 July 1698 | 18 September 1709 |
| Gulston Addison | 18 September 1709 | 17 October 1709 |
| Edmund Montague (acting) | 17 October 1709 | 14 November 1709 |
| William Fraser | 14 November 1709 (acting) | 11 July 1711 |
| Edward Harrison | 11 July 1711 | 8 January 1717 |
| Joseph Collett | 8 January 1717 | 18 January 1720 |
| Francis Hastings (acting) | 18 January 1720 | 15 October 1721 |
| Nathaniel Elwick | 15 October 1721 | 15 January 1725 |
| James Macrae | 15 January 1725 | 14 May 1730 |
| George Morton Pitt | 14 May 1730 | 23 January 1735 |
| Richard Benyon (governor) | 23 January 1735 | 14 January 1744 |
| Nicholas Morse | 14 January 1744 | 10 September 1746 |
Governors of the French East India Company
In 1746, Dupleix's deputy, La Bordannais laid siege to Madras and captured the city. For the next three years, Madras remained under French Governors, until 1749, when Madras was handed to the British as per the Treaty of Aix-la-Chappele. The illustrious Mahe de la Bordannais served as acting Governor for a few months until the appointment of Governor Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil, who served until 1749 when Madras reverted to British rule.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| Mahé de La Bourdonnais (acting) | 10 September 1746 | 2 October 1746 |
| Jean-Jacques Duval d'Eprémesnil | 2 October 1746 | August 1749 |
Presidents of the British East India Company
During the period between 1746 and 1749, when Madras was under French rule, the British ran a provisional government from Fort St. David, near modern-day Porto Novo. In 1752, when Madras had been returned to the British, the then President of Madras, John Saunders, shifted the seat of government from Fort David to Madras. The British gained a lot of territory during the mid-18th century, so that by the time the French military power was crushed at the Battle of Wandiwash in 1761, the territory under the Presidency of Madras had increased manyfold. In 1785, the Province of Madras was created and the President became the Governor of Madras.
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| John Hinde (in Fort David) | 10 September 1746 | 14 April 1747 |
| Charles Floyer (in Fort David) | 14 April 1747 | 19 September 1750 |
| Thomas Saunders (in Fort David up to 5 April 1752) | 19 September 1750 | 14 January 1755 |
| George Pigot (1st time) | 14 January 1755 | 14 November 1763 |
| Robert Palk | 14 November 1763 | 25 January 1767 |
| Charles Bourchier | 25 January 1767 | 31 January 1770 |
| Josias Du Pré | 31 January 1770 | 2 February 1773 |
| Alexander Wynch | 2 February 1773 | 11 December 1775 |
| George Pigot (2nd time) | 11 December 1775 | 23 August 1776 |
| George Stratton | 23 August 1776 | 31 August 1777 |
| John Whitehill (first time) (acting) | 31 August 1777 | 8 February 1778 |
| Sir Thomas Rumbold | 8 February 1778 | 6 April 1780 |
| John Whitehill (second time) (acting) | 6 April 1780 | 8 November 1780 |
| Charles Smith (acting) | 8 November 1780 | 22 June 1781 |
| George MaCartney | 22 June 1781 | 12 February 1785 |
Governors (of British India)
| Name | Took office | Left office |
|---|---|---|
| George MaCartney | 12 February 1785 | 14 June 1785 |
| Alexander Davidson (acting) | 14 June 1785 | 6 April 1786 |
| Sir Archibald Campbell | 6 April 1786 | 7 February 1789 |
| John Holland (acting) | 7 February 1789 | 13 February 1790 |
| Edward J.Holland (acting) | 13 February 1790 | 20 February 1790 |
| William Medows | 20 February 1790 | 1 August 1792 |
| Sir Charles Oakeley | 1 August 1792 | 7 September 1794 |
| Baron Hobart | 7 September 1794 | 21 February 1798 |
| George Harris (acting) | 21 February 1798 | 21 August 1798 |
| The 2nd Baron Clive | 21 August 1798 | 30 August 1803 |
| Lord William Henry Cavendish-Bentinck | 30 August 1803 | 11 September 1807 |
| William Petrie (acting) | 11 September 1807 | 24 February 1808 |
| Sir George Barlow, 1st Baronet | 24 February 1808 | 21 May 1813 |
| John Abercromby (acting) | 21 May 1813 | 16 September 1814 |
| Hugh Elliot | 16 September 1814 | 10 June 1820 |
| Sir Thomas Munro | 10 June 1820 | 10 July 1827 |
| Henry Sullivan Graeme (acting) | 10 July 1827 | 18 October 1827 |
| Stephen Rumbold Lushington | 18 October 1827 | 25 October 1832 |
| Sir Frederick Adam | 25 October 1832 | 4 March 1837 |
| George Edward Russell (acting) | 4 March 1837 | 6 March 1837 |
| The 13th Lord Elphinstone | 6 March 1837 | 24 September 1842 |
| The 8th Marquess of Tweeddale | 24 September 1842 | 23 February 1848 |
| Henry Dickinson (acting) | 23 February 1848 | 7 April 1848 |
| Sir Henry Eldred Pottinger | 7 April 1848 | 24 April 1854 |
| Daniel Eliott (acting) | 24 April 1854 | 28 April 1854 |
| The 3rd Baron Harris | 28 April 1854 | 28 March 1859 |
| Sir Charles Edward Trevelyan | 28 March 1859 | 8 June 1860 |
| William Ambrose Morehead (1st time) (acting) | 8 June 1860 | 5 July 1860 |
| Sir Henry George Ward | 5 July 1860 | 2 August 1860 |
| William Ambrose Morehead (2nd time) (acting) | 4 August 1860 | 18 February 1861 |
| Sir William Thomas Denison (1st time) | 18 February 1861 | 26 November 1863 |
Madras Presidency and Madras State
Headquartered in Fort St. George, Madras Presidency was a province of British India. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu, the Malabar region of North Kerala, the coastal and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh, and the Bellary, Dakshina Kannada, and Udupi districts of Karnataka. It was established in 1653 to be the headquarters of the English settlements on the Coromandel Coast. After India's independence in 1947, Madras State, the precursor to the present day state of Tamil Nadu, was carved out of Madras Presidency. It comprised present-day Tamil Nadu and parts of present-day Karnataka and Kerala.[1]
Governors
| # | Name | Portrait | Took office | Left office | Term[nb 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | Maharaja Sir Krishna Kumarasinhji Bhavsinhji | 7 September 1948 | 12 March 1952 | 1 | |
| 28 | Sri Prakasa | File:Sri Prakasa Portrait.jpg | 12 March 1952 | 10 December 1956 | 1 |
| 29 | A. J. John | File:No image available.svg | 10 December 1956 | 30 September 1957 | 1 |
| - | Pakala Venkata Rajamannar (acting) | File:No image available.svg | 1 October 1957 | 24 January 1958 | 1 |
| 30 | Bhishnuram Medhi | File:Bishnuram Medhi.jpg | 24 January 1958 | 4 May 1964 | 1 |
| 31 | Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur | File:Court portrait of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar of Mysore.jpg | 4 May 1964 | 24 November 1964 | 1 |
| - | P. Chandra Reddy (acting)[3] | File:No image available.svg | 24 November 1964 | 7 December 1965 | 1 |
| (31) | Maharaja Sir Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur[nb 2] | File:Court portrait of Jayachamarajendra Wadiyar of Mysore.jpg | 7 December 1965 | 28 June 1966 | 1 |
| 32 | Sardar Ujjal Singh (acting) | File:No image available.svg | 28 June 1966 | 14 January 1969 | 1 |
Graphical
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DateFormat = yyyy Period = from:1946 till:1972 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1946
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from:1946 till:1948 color:PA text:"Sir Archibald Edward Nye (1946 – 1948)" from:1948 till:1952 color:PA text:"Maharaja Krishna Kumarasingh Bhavasingh (1948 – 1952)" from:1952 till:1956 color:PA text:"Sri Prakasa (1952 – 1956)" from:1956 till:1958 color:PA text:"A. J. John, Anaparambil (1956 – 1958)" from:1958 till:1958 color:GP text:"Dr. Pakala Venkata Rajamannar (1958 – 1958)" from:1958 till:1964 color:PA text:"Bhishnuram Medhi (1958 – 1964)" from:1964 till:1964 color:PA text:"Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur of Mysore (1964 – 1964)" from:1964 till:1965 color:GP text:"P. Chandra Reddy (1964 – 1965)" from:1965 till:1966 color:PA text:"Maharaja Jayachamaraja Wodeyar Bahadur of Mysore (1965 – 1966)" from:1966 till:1969 color:PA text:"Sardar Ujjal Singh (1966 – 1969)"
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Tamil Nadu
Madras State was renamed as Tamil Nadu (Tamil for Tamil country) on 14 January 1969. Governors have similar powers and functions at the state level as that of the President of India at the Central government level. The Governor acts as the nominal head of the state while the Chief Ministers of the states and the Chief Minister's Council of Ministers are invested with most executive powers.
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- Graphical
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DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:1969 till:2025 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:5 start:1969
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from: 14/01/1969 till: 25/05/1971 color:PA text:"Sardar Ujjal Singh" from: 26/05/1971 till: 15/06/1976 color:PA text:"Kodardas Kalidas Shah" from: 16/06/1976 till: 08/04/1977 color:PA text:"Mohan Lal Sukhadia" from: 09/04/1977 till: 26/04/1977 color:GP text:"P. Govindan Nair" from: 27/04/1977 till: 26/10/1980 color:PA text:"Prabhudas Patwari" from: 27/10/1980 till: 03/11/1980 color:GP text:"M. M. Ismail" from: 04/11/1980 till: 02/09/1982 color:PA text:"Sadiq Ali" from: 03/09/1982 till: 16/02/1988 color:PA text:"Sundar Lal Khurana" from: 17/02/1988 till: 23/05/1990 color:PA text:"P. C. Alexander" from: 24/05/1990 till: 14/02/1991 color:PA text:"Surjit Singh Barnala" from: 15/02/1991 till: 30/05/1993 color:PA text:"Bhishma Narain Singh" from: 31/05/1993 till: 02/12/1996 color:PA text:"Marri Chenna Reddy" from: 02/12/1996 till: 24/01/1997 color:GP text:"Krishan Kant" from: 25/01/1997 till: 02/07/2001 color:PA text:"M. Fathima Beevi" from: 03/07/2001 till: 17/01/2002 color:GP text:"C. Rangarajan" from: 18/01/2002 till: 02/11/2004 color:PA text:"P. S. Ramamohan Rao" from: 03/11/2004 till: 30/08/2011 color:PA text:"Surjit Singh Barnala" from: 31/08/2011 till: 01/09/2016 color:PA text:"Konijeti Rosaiah" from: 02/09/2016 till: 05/10/2017 color:GP text:"C. Vidyasagar Rao" from: 06/10/2017 till: 17/09/2021 color:PA text:"Banwarilal Purohit" from: 18/09/2021 till: 07/05/2026 color:PA text:"R. N. Ravi" </timeline>
Records
- Surjit Singh Barnala is the only appointed Governor to have served two terms in office (24 May 1990–15 February 1991 and 3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
- The longest term in office was that of Surjit Singh Barnala who served as the Governor for a period of almost six and a half years (3 November 2004–31 August 2011).
- The shortest term in office was that of M. M. Ismail who served as the acting Governor for a period of nine days (27 October 1980–4 November 1980).
- The longest term in office as additional in-charge was that of C. Vidyasagar Rao for a period of 1 year 1 month and 4 days (2 September 2016– 6 October 2017).
See also
- Governors of India
- History of Tamil Nadu
- List of chief ministers of Tamil Nadu
- List of colonial governors and presidents of Madras Presidency
Notes
References
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- ↑ Tamil Nadu Secretariat — Brief History Template:Webarchive (Government of Tamil Nadu, 17 September 2008)
- ↑ [Formerly the last Governor of the Madras Presidency.]
- ↑ HON'BLE SRI JUSTICE P.CHANDRA REDDI Template:Webarchive (High Court of Andhra Pradesh, Hyderabad, 20 September 2008)
- ↑ The ordinal number of the term being served by the person specified in the row in the corresponding period
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External links
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